msvcp140.dll is missing or not found: how to fix it

Published By helps.wiki editorial team

msvcp140.dll belongs to the Microsoft Visual C++ v14 Redistributable. Windows reports it missing when that package is absent, damaged, outdated or the wrong architecture. Installing the latest redistributable from Microsoft, both x86 and x64, fixes it in most cases.

Applies to:Windows 10Windows 11
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What it means

msvcp140.dll is the Microsoft C++ Standard Library runtime. Programs built with Visual Studio's C++ compiler (toolset v14) rely on it. Windows doesn't ship it as an ordinary system component: it arrives with the Microsoft Visual C++ v14 Redistributable. If a program asks for the file and Windows can't find it, the program won't start.

The same package also supplies vcruntime140.dll, vcruntime140_1.dll and concrt140.dll, so one fix usually covers all of them. Visual Studio 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2026 share the same v14 files and are binary compatible, so you don't need a separate package for each year. There is also a shorter companion article: VCRUNTIME140.dll or MSVCP140.dll was not found.

The cure is to install the official package from Microsoft. Don't download the DLL on its own from a website.

Symptoms and causes

You are likely dealing with this problem if:

  • A dialog saying "The program can't start because MSVCP140.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem."
  • "msvcp140.dll was not found", or "This application has failed to start because MSVCP140.dll was not found. Reinstalling the application may fix this problem."
  • The program (a game, an Adobe app, an installer, a Python package) doesn't open at all.

The usual causes, most common first:

The Visual C++ Redistributable was never installed
A fresh Windows install may not have it, and the program's own installer may not have included it.
Wrong architecture installed
A 32-bit program needs the x86 package even on 64-bit Windows. If only x64 is present, the 32-bit app still fails. Copying files into SysWOW64 by hand doesn't solve this.
The installed redistributable is too old
Microsoft says the installed version must be the same or later than the build tools the app was made with.
Damaged or half-removed redistributable
A corrupted install or a broken Windows Installer cache can leave the DLL missing or unusable.
The file was removed or quarantined
An antivirus tool, a cleaner or a manual deletion may have taken it away.
A portable app copied from another PC
The app may have relied on DLLs that were not copied along with it.

How to fix it

Work through these in order. They start with the quickest, safest checks and move to deeper repairs; stop as soon as the problem is gone.

1.Install the latest Visual C++ v14 Redistributable (x86 and x64)

Easy

This puts a signed copy of msvcp140.dll in the right place and covers the whole v14 family of files.

  1. Download the x64 installer from Microsoft's permalink: https://aka.ms/vc14/vc_redist.x64.exe.
  2. Download the x86 installer too: https://aka.ms/vc14/vc_redist.x86.exe. On 64-bit Windows you want both, because many programs are still 32-bit.
  3. Only if your PC is ARM64, also download https://aka.ms/vc14/vc_redist.arm64.exe.
  4. Right-click each installer, choose Run as administrator and finish the setup.
  5. Restart the PC, then start the program again.
  6. If you prefer the command line, this installs without prompts (other switches: /quiet, /repair, /uninstall, /log file.txt).
    Command Promptrun as administrator
    vc_redist.x64.exe /install /passive /norestart
  7. If the installer says a newer version is already installed, go to the repair solution below.

2.Repair the existing redistributable

Easy

Useful when the package is installed but a file is damaged or missing. The /repair switch is documented by Microsoft.

  1. Open Command Prompt as administrator in the folder where you saved the installer.
  2. Run the installer with the repair switch. Do the same with vc_redist.x86.exe.
    Command Promptrun as administrator
    vc_redist.x64.exe /repair
  3. Restart the PC and test the program.

3.Reinstall or repair the affected program

Easy

Microsoft's own message says reinstalling the application may fix the problem, since the installer is supposed to deploy the redistributable.

  1. Uninstall the program in Settings, Apps, Installed apps.
  2. Download a fresh installer from the program's official site and install it again.
  3. If the program is still asking for a newer runtime, contact its vendor for instructions.

4.If the redistributable installer itself fails

ModerateChanges settings

Microsoft has a troubleshooting guide for failing installs, with specific return codes.

Before you start: Turn antivirus back on right after the test. Only use installers downloaded from Microsoft.

  1. Install pending Windows updates and restart.
  2. Run the installer as administrator.
  3. If you still fail, briefly turn off a third-party antivirus, run the installer, then turn the antivirus back on straight away.
  4. Collect logs with Microsoft's tool at https://aka.ms/vscollect. The installer logs are named dd_vcredist_<arch>_yyyyMMddHHmmss in the Temp folder.
  5. Match your return code: 1603 is a generic failure (read the log); 5 is access denied; 32 means a file is locked (close other programs or restart); 1620 (also 0x80091007 and 0x80070654) means a corrupt installer package; 1714 means the older version can't be removed, so uninstall it via Windows Installer or the old VC Redist installer and retry.

Check that it worked

  • The program starts without the msvcp140.dll message.
  • Both the x86 and x64 Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable entries appear in Settings, Apps, Installed apps.

If it still fails

  • Don't download msvcp140.dll from a DLL site or copy it into System32 or SysWOW64. Microsoft says to install only the signed redistributable from a Microsoft site, and a wrong-architecture copy fails anyway.
  • Check whether the program is 32-bit or 64-bit and make sure the matching package is installed.
  • The latest redistributable supports only Windows 10 and 11. On older Windows, ask the program's vendor which runtime it needs.
  • Contact the program's vendor with the exact message and your Windows version.

Questions

Why do I need both x86 and x64?

Each program needs the redistributable that matches its own architecture. 32-bit programs use x86 even on 64-bit Windows.

Is the 2015 redistributable still fine?

Visual Studio 2015 support ended on 15 October 2025, so use the latest v14 package instead.

Sources

  1. Latest Supported Visual C++ Redistributable DownloadsOfficial · Microsoft Learn
  2. Redistribute Visual C++ FilesOfficial · Microsoft Learn
  3. Troubleshoot Visual C++ Redistributable Installation ProblemsOfficial · Microsoft Learn

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